By using a smart phone and a wireless protocol, vehicle users may remotely command the execution or performance of various vehicle tasks. For example, using the smart phone and a short range wireless protocol, a vehicle user may unlock the vehicle doors or start the vehicle without entering or otherwise interacting with the vehicle. Or using the smart phone and a cellular protocol, the vehicle user may perform these or similar tasks remotely such as from within a shopping mall while the vehicle is in a nearby parking garage. In some instances, the smart phone may be equipped with secure application software that may enable secure communications between it and a telematics backend so that commands sent from the smart phone may be validated at the backend and then cellularly transmitted to the vehicle. The vehicle, in response to receiving this communication from the backend, may then perform the desired task.